Apparatus for leaching tanbark.



N0. (593;749. Patented Feb. I8, |902.

E. F. SMITH. v

APPARATUS FOR LEAGHING TANBARK.

(App'ueacion madamel 14, 1901.)

(Nu Model.)

.ma Nonna PETER: co. rnoouruo.. msnmnron, u. c.

Ilnirrnb STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDVARD'F. SMITH, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR LEACHING TANBARK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,749, dated February18, 1902.

Application filed June 14, 1901. Serial No. 64,602. (No model.)

T @ZZ zoll/ont it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of LeachingMechanism; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in systems of leaching mechanism,and particularly to systems and mechanism for leaching tanbark,consisting, substantially, of a series of tanks so connected that thefluid after passing through one tank from the bottom thereof upward isdelivered from the top thereof by means of intermediate mechanism to thebottom of the next succeeding tank and in like manner passing throughthis tank to the next and to as many succeeding tanks as may benecessary to bring'the liquor up to the strength desired.

The features of this invention are more particularly set forth anddescribed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a top or plan view of a leaching apparatus embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, partially in elevation andpartially in section, in the line n in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection of one of the leaching-tanks on the line y gj in Fig. l.

In the drawings illustrating my invention, A is a heater for heating thewater or liquor, from which heater-pipes B and B' lead to and from thesame, the pipe B connecting with a pump O,by means whereof the fluid ispumped into theheater A, which passes out therefrom by means of the pipeB'. In the drawings I show two leaching-tanks D and D' of a series ofsuch tanks. These tanks are constructed with perforated false bottoms dand perforated removable covers d'. In one side of each of these tanks Isecure vertical plug-boxes E and E', which extend down through the coverd' and false bottom d of the tank, where they are provided with lateralopenings e and c under the false tank-bottom d. From the pump C a pipe Fextends downward toalongitudinal pipe F', which extends longitudinallyunder the tanks D D', the., and is con nected therewith by means ofbranch pipesf, extending up through thebottoms d2 of said tanks directlyunder the boxes E therein, where they are provided with shut-off plugsG, the stems g of which pass up through the guides ezin the boxes E andout of the tops of said boxes. Ey means of this construction thecontents of any one or more of the series of tanks D and D' can bepumped out when desired. From the pipe B' a pipe F2 extends horizontallyunder the tanks D D', tc., and connects therewith by means of branchpipes f', which extendup through the bottoms Z2 of said tanks directlyunder the boxes E' therein,where they are provided with shut-off plugsGr', the stems g' of which pass up through the guides@2 in the boxes E'and out of the tops of said boxes. By means of this meichanism fluid canbe delivered from the heater Aiuto the bottom of any one or more of thetanks D D', dto., as may be desired.

In one side of each of the tanks D D', duc., I place a well H, the upperend of which is substantially on a level with the top of the tank-coverd', so that the fluid passing up through the perforations therein willflow into the top of the well II. In the well II, I place an ordinarysuction-pu mp h, provided with a spout h', which leads to and dischargesinto the top of the box E' in the next adjacent tank D', the., as thecase may be, the liquid so discharged from the spout h' passing down thebox E' and out through the openings e' in the box E' under theperforated tank-bottom d. The pumps 7L may be operated in any convenientmannerfor example, by a crank-shaft I, as illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

In operation, the tanks D and D', the. being filled with ground tanbark,Huid may be admitted from the heater A th'rough the pipes B' and F2 byway of the branch f' into the bottom of the tank D or any other tank ofthe series desired. The liquid so admitted, rising up through the groundbark in said tank, dows out through the perforated cover thereof anddown into the well H, from whence it is pumped and delivered through thespout 7L' into the box E' of the tank D', through which I OO it passesdown into the bottom of the tank D and up through the ground barktherein, to be again pumped into the box E of a succeeding tank until ithas acquired suicient strength for use.

I have thus described my improved system and mechanism for leachingtanbark so as to enable others to utilize the same; but I am aware thatthe same may be considerably modified without departing from the spiritof my invention.

Therefore what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is-

1. In a system and mechanism for leaching tanbark, the combination of atank, a perforated false bottom and a perforated removable covertherein, a heater above said tank', a pipe leading from said heater intosaid tank under the false bottom therein, a return-pipe communicatingwith said tank, vertical boxes and pipes, wells and pumps therein insaid tanks, and spouts from the pumps to boxes leading to the bottoms ofadjacent tanks, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD F. SMITH. Witnesses:

HAROLD M. STURcEoN, F. J. BAssETT.

